Hogs infielder Kozeal drafted by Marlins after big junior year

Before he ever put on a Razorback uniform, Camden Kozeal built his game at Vanderbilt.

Two years after transferring to Arkansas, that development paid off when Miami tapped him in the third round of the MLB Draft, taking him 87th overall.

Kozeal didn’t grow up an SEC shortstop.

He played first and second base for most of his college career and only shifted to short this past season.

The move didn’t slow him down, and he handled the tougher defensive assignment while still producing at the plate.

His junior year numbers made the case for scouts on their own.

Kozeal slashed .318/.410/.653 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI, both team highs, and he racked up 78 hits with 18 doubles across a full 62 games started.

A career built on steady growth

Kozeal’s rise wasn’t sudden.

As a sophomore he hit .333 with 15 homers and 62 RBI while splitting time between first and second base, earning Second Team All-SEC honors along the way.

He helped that Arkansas club reach the College World Series in Omaha, playing in all three games there.

The junior season took things further.

He drew 36 walks, stole a base and piled up 170 total bases, the most on the roster.

In SEC play alone he hit nine home runs and drove in 27 runs, showing he could produce against the toughest competition on the schedule.

Defensively the transition to shortstop went about as well as Arkansas could’ve hoped.

Kozeal committed only seven errors in 234 chances for a .970 fielding percentage and helped turn 28 double plays, a workload that usually falls to a natural shortstop rather than someone learning the position on the fly.

Recognition followed the production

That combination of bat and glove brought a wave of postseason honors.

Kozeal earned Third Team All-America status from the NCBWA and Perfect Game and landed on the ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region First Team.

He was also a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award given annually to the country’s top shortstop.

Now Kozeal moves on to the Marlins organization as the fifth Razorback drafted this year.

His path from Vanderbilt transfer to third-round pick shows how much a position switch and a career-best season can change a player’s draft stock in a short amount of time.

Key takeaways

• Camden Kozeal went to the Miami Marlins in the third round, pick No. 87, making him the fifth Razorback drafted this year
• His junior season included a .318 average, 20 home runs and 71 RBI, all among the best on the Arkansas roster
• Kozeal earned Third Team All-America honors and was a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist despite moving to shortstop for the first time as a Razorback